Friday, January 21, 2011

Greetings From Skunksville, USA

If you're a friend on Facebook, you may know that I've been struck down with what can only be described as the plague this week. You may think I'm being dramatic, and well, I guess since I'm still alive, it wasn't REALLY the plague, but I can't remember ever being so sick when it didn't involve a lot of quality time with the toilet. I spent two full days in bed and a third one on the couch and am finally starting to feel closer to fine.

I knew I was getting better when I took a look at myself in the mirror today and was horrified at the caterpillars crawling across my forehead. I'll take care of them tomorrow. Nothing like a good eyebrow wax to mark a recovery.

But first, this story. Or tale...

So I believe I've mentioned before the fact that skunks love my neighborhood. And how much one little guy in particular (aka Juan) loves my specific part of the neighborhood. As in my driveway, my front step, my welcome mat.

Don't get me wrong. Juan is freakin' adorable. We've watched him grow. Or her grow. I've never gotten close enough to tell the difference. We know Juan's coloring. We know Juan likes us. But we also know Juan doesn't realize what kind of havoc he could wreak (or reek!) on not only our actual persons but also our home.

You see, it's nothing to with inside and outside lights on, door open, tv on, and people talking to look over and see Juan chilling on the welcome mat...Yeah. Can't really walk away from the open door because I'm pretty sure the little dude would just waltz in and make himself at home.

So far he has only lifted his tail when FACING us, which would mean he wouldn't be technically spraying us, but still...nothing's an exact science...

Alright, so anyway, sorry if that is all old news, but it's only to tell you about what happened last night. Like I said I've been sick and I stepped outside to leave for my night job and my neighbor was on her step. Outside lights were on. We were talking. When all the sudden, she told me to look behind me. I didn't. I kept talking. Then - a little more forcefully - she told me to walk forward to her step..."right now"...That time I listened...once I got there, she told me to turn around...and there was Juan. Basically RIGHT behind where I was standing, as if he was walking up to me...Again he put his tail up, but he was facing us, and he didn't spray. Once he realized we were doing the stomping our feet and shaking our keys move so I could get in my car, he sauntered down the driveway and into the front yard.

Long story short, I need a screen door.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

This Just In

1. The adorable pair known as The Civil Wars ARE married, but to other people. I can't wait for the album debut on February 1. Do yourself a favor and plan ahead to purchase it.

2. I love Austin. Everything about it. It's the clear frontrunner in the Austin-Portland-Nashville race to be the next MAB city. The recent rains in LA have really dampened (pun intended) Portland's chance. I'm glad to know I have lovely friends to visit there tho because I do love it. That being said, if I were to get a fantastic job there or meet someone who wanted to move there I would likely not turn down that opportunity. After all...



3. I'm inappropriately very much looking forward to the movie No Strings Attached. All I can say is, I liked A Lot Like Love, the idea of a Period Mix makes me laugh, and some of the lines in the trailer hit home...so I have some hope for it...

4. I'm working on my 2011 To Do List. There are important things that I need to remember to do in the next couple of weeks like traffic school, and then there is everything else, which is all fun stuff. I'm especially excited to gain half of my life back when Let's Make a Deal goes on hiatus on Jan. 16. What will I do with all that dayside free time?!?! The list for that is growing too...I need to go through my lil garage thing and get rid of things I don't need or haven't used in forever. Trim it down/clean it out...I have a way of accumulating nothing at all...

Which brings me to the early stages of the list.

Daytimes will soon be filled with farmers' markets and flea markets and classes. Classes for sewing, classes for trapeze-ing, classes for some sort of physical fitness (either yoga or a combo pilates-yoga-barre thing offered in my hood), maybe cooking...sign language...all things of interest that I want to know more about.

2011 will also bring a lot of travel. To near and far away places. I started the year in Austin, and wouldn't mind going back (sxsw can you hear me?) But there are other places to go...like, Hicksville Trailer Palace in Joshua Tree, maybe Vegas, and um, oh yeah...AFRICA. So excited. And people just keep telling me to get more excited. By the time I actually go I won't be able to contain myself...post Africa I'm more-than-tentatively planning a bday trip back to the Kauai condo...and then I may have to hunker down depending on the job sitch...my parents are planning a trip out during the summer...and I feel like I should spend some time in Nashville this year to help my decision-making process...you know, just to be prepared for the next step...

Meanwhile, here I sit, in the last two weeks of double-dipping. Somehow I've made it six months. I don't know how. I've been very fortunate tho, so for that I am thankful. I want more space than my little bungalow offers, but the price is unbeatable for the locale and amenities (read offstreet parking, onsite laundry, no attached neighbors). And frankly, I want more space just so I can buy more chairs. I'm obsessed with chairs. I don't need lots of chairs. But I want them.

That'll do, pig.